New England Stereotypes (Boston, Newton, Northampton: to live, moving, bill)

[gentlearts]

We are standoffish, but we like it that way. I've lived in Ohio now for longer than I lived in MA, but the common reaction when I said where I was from is a sort of recoil, as though I would automatically think I was better than the other person. I think I'm extremely wide open and friendly, but I do think I hold back and assess a situation or person until I know where they're coming from.

[western mass and love it]

I got to talking with them and through the conversation pointed out that NYC was closer to their home than Boston.


where in western mass would NYC be closer than boston , i live in wmass and it takes me just over an hour to hit boston .almost 2 1/2 hours to nyc

[JViello]

Originally Posted by western mass and love it

I got to talking with them and through the conversation pointed out that NYC was closer to their home than Boston.


where in western mass would NYC be closer than boston , i live in wmass and it takes me just over an hour to hit boston .almost 2 1/2 hours to nyc

I agree that saying WMass is closer to NYC is not true unless you are in the far SW corner...but on the flip side, your estimates are way off too. Did you walk one way and drive the other?

Great Barrington is 131mi to NYC and 137mi to Boston. Pittsfield to NYC 152mi, Pfield to Boston 137mi. Only a 20 mile difference from Pittsfield. Unless your one of the Mass folks who think anything West of 495 is "Western Mass".

For the thread: New England is such a diverse place. From CT to Northern ME you engage so much diversity in climate, people and landscape it's incredible for such a small land area. It's hard to match stereo types to just "New England".

I've known Mainers to be incredibly friendly, down to earth people who live at a slower pace. I've know some Bostonians to be incredibly brash and living at warp speed. Etc etc.

Anyone not been to the Big-E? Going through the 6 "New England State Houses" you can really really get the full flavor of New England in a 30 minute walk through.

Avenue of States

Being from CT one of the stereotypes I get from outside New England when I say I'm from CT is "oh, my..." as if I must have my private jet double parked out in the street. I had one lady originally from MD in the Greenville SC "tourism office" start talking to me in a shakespearian prose of "Eeenglish" when I said I was from CT. Lady, I hate to tell you the Catherine Hepburn crowd died off years ago. So I just made nice, adjusted my ball cap and told her what I really thought of Greenville when she asked.

We are more than "rich snobs" in CT...if anything they are the minority but no matter where I go that's the stereotype. Ugh...

Then again, to someone in Jackson MS I suppose our "normal" middle class family with college educated parents, living in a 350K home, with a family income of 100K+, with 65K worth of cars in the drive would be considered "rich". To me it's "normal" and just a stack of bills. lol

[western mass and love it]

well i am in western mass right on the springfield hamden line,boston is roughly about 75-80 mils from my doorstep.and it does crack me up when bostonians think it will take days to get to western mass.like we are right on the banks of lake erie.i was talking to lady in our corp office about a month ago,and she seriously wanted to know if western mass was getting hit with all that lake effect snow that was pounding buffalo.i had to stop myself from making a wise crack and simply said no.

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by verobeach

I'd say this applies to everywhere in the good ole dumb USA. When we lived in the Chicago area for a few years, twice I was asked where I lived and I replied New England and they'd say, "New York?" One friend who knew I was from Massachusetts, when I mentioned New England, said, "I thought you said you were from Massachusetts." So stupidity and geographical isolation happens everywhere and anywhere.

You're exactly right about this. I have the same impression of most Americans. They don't know squat about geography.

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by tamiznluv

Does this make New Englanders bad people because some don't travel? I hear a hint of "superiotiy" in your statement "they assume their (they're) inferior or some other stupid reason". What is wrong with being happy and content? What is wrong with not having the urge to travel? We are NOT all Yuppies here in Mass. We all don't have disposable income. Some of us are "the workingpoor". Some of us live paycheck to paycheck and do not have the means to blow money on traveling, whether we want to or not!

This New Englander HAS been to Texas many times and have met many a Texan who knows nothing beyond their little town. So please do not rag on just New Englanders for being not "worldly". Just ain't so! There are people all over the world who are born, live and die in the same town or close by. I would tend to think that Europe is more that way than the US because we are more a mobile society.

Yeah my impression of most Americans is they grow up in this tiny part of the world they call home and don't ever venture out. Yes a lot of New Englanders only know their little area. A lot of Texans only know their little area. Both of these are true. When I lived in MI it was the same thing. Most of the people around there didn't know anything but MI. A guy I went to college with said the same thing about VA. He grew up in VA. He said in VA the people never leave their cocoon. So it's the same thing everywhere.

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by western mass and love it

well i am in western mass right on the springfield hamden line,boston is roughly about 75-80 mils from my doorstep.and it does crack me up when bostonians think it will take days to get to western mass.like we are right on the banks of lake erie.i was talking to lady in our corp office about a month ago,and she seriously wanted to know if western mass was getting hit with all that lake effect snow that was pounding buffalo.i had to stop myself from making a wise crack and simply said no.

We're back to that geography problem again.

[ryansdaddy052606]

The other night, at Shaws on Huntington Ave (Boston) I ran into a really nice man who told me, after hearing my accent and discovering that I am from Kentucky, that he is 43 years old and has NEVER been outside of MA; furthermore in his 43 years he has only been out of Boston TWICE! Now, folks, that is just sad. He did say that when his mother is gone that he is going to "think" about doing some traveling.

[meltinjohn]

Originally Posted by madaly320

lol...about the untraveled post. I admit it, I have never been out of the country. And I also admit that at this time, I have absolutely no desire to. I do travel a lot though, but it is always to Florida. I can't help it, I love it there. I figure maybe when I am older and have more money, I will want to see more of the world but I am not going to force myself to go somewhere I don't want to just because other people think I should.

I am a creature of comfort. I like doing things I know how to do, and I like going places where I know exactly where I am going. Change scares me. I know a lot of people around me who are like that, so that could be a stereotype. Since I have lived in MA my whole life, I have no idea if the rest of the country thinks that of us. But I am content with being a stereotype. lol

I do think we NE'ers ARE not the most polite people. I admit, I am always in a rush to go nowhere. I don't like chit chatting with strangers in person, I am ok here on the computer. I don't say hello to random people I walk by, and I HATE HATE giving directions. God help you if you ride my butt on the highway, I WILL mess with you.

LOL you sound just like me! Only sometimes Im not in a hurry like you say you are but I dont like slow moving people in some instances.
I like messing with tailgaters as well

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by ryansdaddy052606

The other night, at Shaws on Huntington Ave (Boston) I ran into a really nice man who told me, after hearing my accent and discovering that I am from Kentucky, that he is 43 years old and has NEVER been outside of MA; furthermore in his 43 years he has only been out of Boston TWICE! Now, folks, that is just sad. He did say that when his mother is gone that he is going to "think" about doing some traveling.

Yeah I agree. I love to travel. It doesn't matter how good the place is that I live in. I want to see the world. There is lots to see in this world and there are many great places. When I'm 80 years old and I'm reminiscing about the good old days I want to be able to look back on the long list of places that I've been to.